Michael van Gerwen is excited to get his old sparring partner Gary Anderson back from injury as he looks to renew their rivalry on the oche.
Anderson has been struggling with a back problem which has restricted him to playing just five events so far in 2019, with only the UK Open of those being on television.
The Flying Scotsman has not been past the last 32 in any of those five tournaments but is returning at the World Cup of Darts next week, hopefully back at full fitness.
With the 48-year-old largely out of the picture, Van Gerwen has been adding a significant amount of silverware to his vast trophy cabinet.
Since beating Anderson in the World Championship semi-final in December, MVG has won the Masters, Premier League, four European Tour titles and two more ProTour events.
Rob Cross is now the world number two and was beaten in the recent Premier League final by Mighty Mike, but Van Gerwen was not convinced when asked if Cross is his closest rival these days.
‘You don’t know,’ said the Dutchman. ‘Rob had a very difficult last year, a very difficult patch and he’s getting out of it.
‘But there’s so many good players, and what’s rivalry? You play each other week after week at the highest level and you need to make sure you’re winning, simple.
‘But I’m waiting for Gary to come back.’
While Cross has been excellent in recent months, he has not been able to pick up results against the world number one.
The Englishman famously beat MVG in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Championship, but has won just one of the following nine matches against him.
Cross has only been a professional for just over two years, though, and Van Gerwen knows there is more to come from him.
‘He’s only on the tour for a few years so he has a lot to learn,’ said MVG. ‘He’s already done phenomenal for the time he’s been on the tour, but everyone has to learn, even myself.’
Van Gerwen, Cross and Anderson will be representing Netherlands, England and Scotland respectively at the forthcoming World Cup of Darts in Hamburg.
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